


Roads Go Ever, Ever Long

by warlock_female



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Battle of Five Armies Fix-It, Canon-Typical Violence, Dis is a badass, Everybody Lives, F/M, Female!Bilbo, M/M, always female bilbo, because Bofur needs more love, crap title, girl talk, kink meme fill, so is lobelia, warning: slight slut shaming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2014-02-07
Packaged: 2017-12-26 16:59:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warlock_female/pseuds/warlock_female
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fill for the Hobbit Kink Meme</p><p>Bilba Baggins has come home to the Shire with a growing belly and head held high.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the Hobbit kink meme: Let's say that one of the reasons Lobella Sackville-Baggins didn't get along with Bilbo in regular-verse is that Bungo Baggins made a big stink about her somewhat wild youth. Because, yes, it was her future husband she was fooling around with, but nobody in the Shire doubted what the young Lobella was getting up to with her boyfriend in her wild tweens and Proper Hobbitesses do NOT do that before marriage! Bilbo and thusly Billa (Bibla, Bibla, etc.) carried on the attitude.
> 
> But then fem!Bilbo comes back from her quest pregnant, with her head held high, and acting NOTHING like old judgmental Bungo. Lobella then becomes fem!Bilbo's friend, confidant, and helper. After all, she had a baby son and is a skilled mother, and they can sort of band together in head-held-high None of Your Business attitude!
> 
> ** **
> 
> So I’m like 100% sure that this isn’t the pairing that OP wanted, and it’s not half as good as the other fill but I haven’t been able to get the idea out of my head for a month now. Any mistakes on my part are my fault, please point them out since I don’t have any of my books on hand as I’m writing.
> 
> Warnings: Some shaming, sexism, violence, maybe sexy times later on. I’ve also messed with the ages a bit from what they are in the book and film.

Saturday was market day; everyone in the Shire went to the market on Saturday and only extreme injuries kept a proper hobbit home. Lobela pulled out her market day clothing, checked her umbrella, and walked with her head held high with her basket at her hip and family trailing behind. She has never liked gossiping, not since she had been engaged, but Bilba Baggins coming home two days ago (in pants under that large cloak!) and ripping off the sign for the auction before going inside and shutting her doors firmly was sure to have the Shire talking.

Lobela was not one for nasty thoughts towards others besides those that most people have. She had felt horror at the youngest Took slicing their leg nearly clean off while others had sighed over what fools the Tooks were. She had sent over a sack of potatoes to poor Violet when her husband had ran away (and what an idiot that man had been, at least the new one has some wisdom even if his sheep outsmarted him daily) and while Lobela had nastily suggested that maybe the Grubbs could slow down she also delivered some clothing that Lotho had grown out of along with extra socks that she had just happened to knit.

But the thought of Bilba, with her nose up in the air and her father’s eyes, being talked about gave Lobelia something to smile about.

Her smile dropped as soon as she saw Bilba walking among the food stalls in her father’s old clothing straining against her belly. Going off with dwarves was a Took thing. But not even a Took would be so foolish as to come back pregnant. Lobela is proud in that she only pauses for a moment before heading towards her relative. Family greeted one another on market day even if one of them had just brought shame upon themselves.

Sometimes only if they had just brought shame upon themselves.

“Morning Lobela. Good thing I decided to keep Bag-End. It looks like I’ll be needing the space.” Bilba smiles sweetly at Lobela and her eyes with their dark circles dare Lobela to say something, anything, about what sort of woman would come back with a rounded belly and no father in sight.

People around them are whispering but not all keeping their voices down, Lobela knows that she hears Brodo’s voice asking in a scandalized voice what Bilba was doing out in the open. His voice sounds too much like voices that Lobela has heard before in the past sniggering as they bet behind her back if she will be round with child when she is finally married. Lobela’d only had tears in her eyes but lesser maids had gone sobbing down the streets if whispers got too much. Bilba’s smile might be a bit too tight but she is holding herself up pride and she faces the man selling beets instead of looking down at the ground. She looks him in the eye and will not pay more than the beets are worth.

“I dare say that I was worried someone would come inside and steal my silverware,” the smile is even brighter. “But they would’ve had to clean up the horrible mess my guests had left. And some silverware for such a great task only seems fair.”

For the first time in her life Lobelia finds herself speechless.

 

** ** **

She had kissed Bofur before climbing the tree in Mirkwood. Partly because he had looked so sad the last few days over his poor brother, partly because Bilba was sure that she was going to fall down with her lessened strength and die broken on the ground. Fili and Kili had managed to create a song about the event by the time she’d climbed down and sang it as the company marched for the rest of the day. Bilba had refused to look at Bofur and made sure to keep Bombur's sleeping body between them.

A part of Bilba, the Baggins part, was screaming at her. It was not done. A proper female hobbit did not ask for a dance, let alone kiss someone she wasn’t married to. Her Took side pointed out that proper female hobbits wouldn’t be caught dead with thirteen men on an adventure, what was a small kiss?

Two days later Bombur woke up and they ran out of all supplies soon after. Balin showed them how to get what little water they could from leaves but Bilba knew it was only a matter of time, memories of the Fell Winter and tales of the Long Winter tugging at Bilba’s mind. But it was the sight of Ori sleeping in Dwalin’s arms without anyone commenting that sealed the fact for her.

“We’re going to die,” Bilba had whispered into Bofur’s ear after crawling into his bedroll not caring if anyone was watching. 

“Aye lass,” Bofur had nuzzled her, Bilba had closed her eyes against tears and all Baggins in her died for the night. The sex had been slightly terrible due to fatigue but sleeping in his arms with warm breath against her cheek had Bilba knowing she’d have no regrets at the end of her slow death.

But they had lived and she had been embarrassed enough that she did not ask what she should be expecting from Bofur. With imprisonment than a dragon; well what did a few nights under blankets with a man that wasn’t even promising marriage really matter? After all once her monthlies stopped and never started again there was not anything worse that Bilba could have happen to her. He was a good man, a kind man, even if Bofur and her did not marry he was sure to take care of the baby. Besides it wasn’t as though the dwarf never muttered how much he loved her, enough that Bifur had taken to rolling his eyes at the sight of the two sitting together and making humiliating hand gestures towards the rest of the company.

What Bilba had never counted on was madness among the dwarves in their old home. Of looking down at the crowd of soot covered men and stern faced elves asking for just a small amount of the hoard. The sickness was stronger in some than others but no one in the company would bend. Bilba realized that she had to do something to save everyone, that she could not rely on anyone but herself **again**.

She would have told him about the baby after the battle; he would have either laughed and called her foolish or laughed and planted her face with kisses. But Bofur had been knocked down by that Warg and Bilba’s heart had gone with him.

She ran because there is nothing left for her but death.

She ran because she had failed.

She ran because there is now a child and it will be safe in Bag End.

No matter the gossip of the Shire, no matter how many of her own family would ignore her on the street, Bilba will be strong.

 

** ** **

 

Bilba knew herself to be a coward. After all she had forced Beorn to take her across Mirkwood as the wounded were still trickling in just so she wouldn’t be forced to see **his** body broken. Because he would be broken, she had seen the howling beast hit Bofur from the side, seen the body go flying through the air. No one could have survived that and Bilba was too much of a coward to see the reality of his stiffened body in the red mud so she had ran.

But Bilba would be damned if she would allow someone to intimidate her at her own home.

“So Bilba darling, why don’t you tell us about your young man?” Bilba smiled as she placed the plate of scones on the table before the old biddy talking. “When is he going to get here?”

“He’s dead,” all five women around the table sucked in their breath and stared at one another confirming what they had all thought. Yes, dead just like Iris Hornblower’s had been years after she had visited Bree. “He was a dwarf.” All five women looked like they might faint. At least Iris had insisted that her babe was full hobbit, before its large size had killed her and set another tale for mothers to warn daughters with. Bilba sat with a sigh into her chair and decided to run them out before she lost her temper. “I’ve been thinking of painting the nursery room green, what do you think?”

Bilba smirked into her sleeves as four women gulped down their tea and showed themselves out. Lobelia was still sitting at the table, her tea poised above her plate in perfect manners as Bilba fought the urge to grind her teeth. The silence stretched out broken only by the sounds of elegant sips until Lobelia finally was kind enough to set her tea cup down.

“Perhaps a bright yellow? My mother always told me that yellow makes happy babies.” Only a year of being forced to put up with thirteen dwarves and one wizard kept Bilba from staring at her cousin. It did not however keep Bilba from tightening her grip on her own cup.

“Yellow is a lovely color. But I was thinking of finding a color that matches the trees.” Yellow reminded her of smiles with dimples and a strong arm resting on her back. Of someone whispering that they wished only the best and a booming one asking would she like to hear the story of Bombur fainting after the birth of his first child?

“I believe that I saw a color like that in Tanta’s house.” Bilba made the right sound of agreement because it is proper and she had been raised to be a good host. Both women stirred their tea without looking one another in the eye as Bilba half wished for a goblin hoard to appear. She had never been one for small talk, her father had taught her what was proper to say to relatives at what meals but she is reminded why there weren’t many parties at Bag End.

The reminder of the last party in Bag End has Bilba torn between smiling and crying. She did the lady like thing and pushed down the emotions with a dainty sip of mint tea. 

“I hated your father.” Bilba gaped at her cousin; all unwritten rules of the Shire discouraged one from admitting something even akin to hate being spoken out loud against someone as respectable as Bungo Baggins. “He hated me back. Always thought I was horrible, an improper little snit of a girl who slept her way into the family.” Bilba shifted in her seat, she had heard tirades against Lobelia from her father. Heard all sorts of things about her that Bilba had taken for granted because she loved her father and had thought he could never be wrong.

“My father would have been ashamed of me.” He would have, though Bilba hopes that he might have still loved her, even after banishing her away. “D-do you have any of your old dresses I could borrow for the rest of the pregnancy? I’m afraid that I’m already too big for anything in the house.” It is as close to an apology as she can really give that day. Lobelia places her cup down and nods firmly (she’s always been a firm woman, that use to annoy Bungo) and gathers up her umbrella.

“You always looked lovely in blue.” As much of an acceptance of an apology as Bilba would get. The women smiled at one another again; for the first time in months it wasn’t strained on Bilba’s part.

** ** **

 

Lobelia was going over every week to visit poor mad Baggins for knitting lessons. Most other hobbits had given up after the first month of trying to have a converinsation with the poor mad woman; whatever had happened on that adventure had unhinged Bilba’s mind to the point that she acted as though she had never done anything wong. Many of the old woman of the Shire thought it sweet just how Lobelia was taking care of the poor dear, knitting up sweaters for the fatherless babe and making sure that poor Bilba didn’t hurt herself from the shame she’d brought upon herself.

“No, no! You need to sweep it like this,” Lobelia did a graceful, fast movement towards the side with her umbrella. “Cracks against the ribs something fierce.” Bilba attempted the same movement and really if it was practice for a real battle her swing could have taken out a goblin’s head. As it was Lobelia winced, “Less strength. Snap it with your wrist.”

Bilba blew some hair from her face in annoyance and attempted to snap her walking stick just right. “I liked it better when I was showing you how to sword fight.” The hobbit woman muttered rebelliously, her feet spread out in a fighting stance as she swung again, this time leaving a dent in one of the bookcases. Lobelia smirked and she was pretty sure that Hamfast was in the garden chuckling. So far Bilba had managed to destroy several dishes, an inkwell, and broken the antiquie chair that had been in the family for years.

Bilba made a face at the dinged bookcase before sighing and dropping the walking stick on a table in the room. “Guess I wouldn’t be rapping anyone’s knuckles soon.”

“Not unless you want to break fingers,” Lobelia happily swung her umbrella in her hand and tossed it onto the room’s sofa. “Not sit down before the babe throws a fit again.” Honestly Lobelia thought the woman should have been bedridden for weeks just from the size of her belly but Bilba refused to stay still for long. It had taken all of Lobelia’s nagging to get Bilba to allow the Gamgees to bring in food from the market each week and even then Bilba had wondered around the Shire, and don’t think that Lobelia had not noticed that all the ‘little walks’ took place east of Bag End.

Really, for being a spinster of fifty years sometimes Bilba could act like a silly little child pining over a first crush. Lobelia narrowed her eyes at the blanket she was knitting and made a mental note to bring along Lotho for the next visit. Some noise in Bag End would be good for Bilba, would keep her mind from wondering to places that really shouldn’t be dwelled on at the moment.

“So you were going to tell me about the library in Rivendell?” The older hobbit’s face lit up and she began to talk about all the books and how many languages had been fitted into the room. Her voice filling the silence as Lobelia counted stiches and hummed at the right parts.


	2. Chapter 2

_Notes: Some head!canon in this chapter that you all can agree or disagree on._

 

**Chapter 2**

 

Dwarves were trickling in from all over, mines had already opened up, songs had been made and sung all over the mountain about Thorin’s Company. Little Ori’s book was now in the library over protests that it just wasn’t yet done and a day did not go by in which a child wasn’t shyly asking if they could see the book about the heroes of the mountain.

 

Thorin was not looking at anyone in the company in the eye. The company wasn’t looking one another in the eye much either. Some of them still hoped for a letter someday smelling of rolling hills and seven meals a day, but Bofur himself was sure that their hobbit would never forgive them. Not that he could blame her, not with the giant mess that the dwarves had made. They had almost gotten themselves killed off and for what? A cursed stone that had brought down madness to their rulers and a dragon to their front door; they had placed the Arkenstone in a locked box to be buried deep underground only for the Master to steal it and run into the wastelands to hopefully become the problem of goblins or orcs instead of man and dwarf.

 

A dip in the bench Bofur had been sitting on shook the hatted dwarf out of his thoughts. Dis has always been a beauty, suitors coming in from towns away to give her gifts and fighting over the woman’s hand and even now there were whispers that many a dwarf was willing to try again. Bofur thought that Dis looked too much like Thorin with that scowl and glare on her face and wondered just how so many men had been brave enough to court the woman.

 

“I am sending all of you to the Shire. There is only so much moping from my brother I can take.” Dis wasn’t one for mincing words. “Really I can’t believe what cowards you lot are.”

 

“Er,” Bofur looked around for help but all other living souls had rather treacherously left the area. “I’m not. That is to say Bilba will probably not wish to see-“ Dis’ glare intensified and she huffed.

 

“You lot were almost dancing at the thought of facing a dragon but one little hobbit is too scary?” Well when it was said that way Bofur had to admit that they did sound a little cowardly. “And don’t think that my sons didn’t tell me about your courting of the poor thing young man!” Aule they should have brought Dis along with them and had her scold Smaug into submission! “Did you even give her a proper courting gift?”

 

“Now just how is-“

 

“Nothing but a piece of armor for that poor girl! I swear that my brother-“

 

“Princess Dis I really didn’t have-“

 

“-and he acts as if I have never been in charge before!” Dis had swooped in with only a faded blue wool dress to stare down those protesting Thorin being crowned king. As her brother and sons had lain between life and death the princess had given shelter and gold to men and elves alike in exchange for repairs, protection, and food while sending word that the mountain was now dragon free; oh and would anyone mind coming over to live and perhaps help clean the place up? If she had been a man Dain might have had Dis assassinated, as it was he had left in a huff though with promises that the two clans would always stay close as Dale’s men moved into the great halls until their own town could be rebuilt.

 

Bofur half wondered if the woman just wanted Thorin out of the way to speed the clean up along. As it was he was being shoved into his rooms still attempting to protest with a list of items needed for the journey as Dis stormed off to attack her next victim.

 

 

X X X

 

_It was sitting in the middle of the Rivendale library listening to Bilba attempting to learn Khuzdul from a lone tattered volume that Bofur realized that he loved her._

_Not liked her as just the brave little thing that had yelled at trolls._

_Not as a friendly companion that still tried to understand what Bifur was saying when most others just smiled and nodded._

_And not just lust from watching her during the day and night making those little faces and flouncing away when something offended her._

_Bilba had looked up at one of his jokes and smiled a rare contented smile that sucked all breath from the miner’s lungs. Bofur had wondered just what she would look like with a courting bead made of gold and gems. She had thrown back her head to laugh at something and Bofur found himself wondering just why he couldn’t be the one to give her the beads._

_“About time,” Bombur had muttered into his bowl when the subject had been brought up oh so casually._

_“Now will you stop mooning?” Bifur had asked leaving Bofur to point out that he wasn’t mooning, maybe composing some manly poetry over the hobbit’s radiant smile but nothing even close to mooning._

_His family had never been one for great things, no family name or really a line that they could point to. The only real reason that they had even been invited along was for Bombur’s cooking and someone recalling how handy a fighter Bifur was against orcs. Dwarves with money gave one another courting beads made of precious metals and gems along with gifts to their intended’s families; but Bofur’s family had always been forced to make do with wood or stone for their loves and a few dinners with the in-laws. Bilba needed something different, she was from a proper family with money and it just wouldn’t do to drag her for miles against trolls or into dirty caves and expect her to marry him with on only a wooden bead._

_Once they reclaimed the Erebor he would make or find her one. It would say what Bofur kept finding himself too tongue tied to really get out; made of the finest material and almost as beautiful as Bilba._

 

 

 

X X X

 

 

If Bungo had seen Bilba big as a barn happily telling a story about trolls to little Lotho while Lobelia dried the dishes as they waited for Otho and Hamfast to get back from the market, he would have died all over again. Well it wasn’t as if anything Bilba had done since thirteen dwarves had stumbled into her door _wouldn’t_ have given her father a heart attack and the hobbit was having too much fun telling Lotho for the thousandth time about tricking the trolls.

 

“Did they really eat boogers?” Lotho looked impressed by the thought of someone making booger stew. “Does that mean that Mr. Grubb is a troll because he eats boogers?” Bilba chocked back a laugh as Lobelia made the right scolding words between her giggles.

 

The sound of strong pounding on the green door leading into Bilba’s house had Lotho leaping to his feet and racing down the hall. “That husband of mine, he always seems to think we’re going to have hoards come on over for lunch,” a year ago Bilba would have thought that words were because Lobelia was a shrew. But now she could see the faint turning up at the corner of the woman’s mouth and the sparkle in her eyes as Lobelia jerked off her apron. “And he’s always spoiling Lotho  with sweets. I swear between you and Otho my poor baby’s going to have no teeth.”

 

“That’s why we’re spoiling him while he has his milk teeth.” Bilba hoisted herself out of her chair with great effect. Hopefully dwarven pregnancies didn’t go longer than hobbit ones or else Bilba was going to be stuck in a chair someday with the babe kicking away happily at her bladder.

 

Lotho screamed loudly, not his usual playful scream but one filled with terror. Bilba raced towards the sound her heart pounding and visions of orcs riding wargs at her door even while a more sensible part of her pointed out that there was no way that orcs would have made it to her door without warning. But traveling with Thorin’s company had taught Bilba that anything could happen so as she rounded the corner to her hall (she must have looked absurd with her belly and one hand clenching nothing more than a teacup to throw) the hobbit was ready to thrown herself between Lotho and whatever was scaring him so badly.

 

Bilba’s first feeling was amusement at Dwalin’s expression of utter panic, then wonder at just how many bloody dwarves seemed to be jostling one another in front of her door, followed very quickly by panic as she caught sight of piercing blue eyes surrounded by black hair.

 

 _‘But I left like you asked!_ ’ a childish voice yelled inside of Bilba as she strode over to Lotho and picked him up with a glare towards the throng. She was not going to allow them to scare her in her own house again, and why couldn’t they have waited until after her pain over Bofur’s death had faded away?

 

“BILBA!” Kili bounded over with a gleeful expression. “You got fat!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve heard from a year to fourteen months being the length of Bilbo’s entire journey in The Hobbit, and most of that seems to consist of being thrown into caves and prisons before taking weeks off for recovery. So it makes more sense of Bofur to have shown up while Bilba was still expecting than not.
> 
> I also have a feeling Dis would have kicked them all back to the Shire faster if her babies hadn’t been wounded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**So yeah, this is a weird combination of the books, the films, and some random head!canon now. Thanks for everyone who’s given me a review, sorry it takes me so long to update but between classes and the whole campus getting the flu (twice!) I haven’t had a lot of time.**

 

It might have only been the quick transfer of Lotho into his mother’s arms that kept Kili from quickly becoming a dead or maimed dwarf. As it was Lobelia’s glare was enough to _feel_ as Bilba was engulfed into a giant gleeful hug from the dark haired dwarf. She returned it and trying her hardest not to point out how he seemed to have lost weight again or notice just how badly the young dwarf limped as her mind raced to her pantry and cellar.

 

“Hobbit… Bilba…,” not that every dwarf was going to be getting fed well that night. Bilba didn’t even attempt a smile as Kili’s arms tightened at the sound of his uncle’s voice. “I… that is to say that my sister…”

 

“Hello King Under the Mountain, my cousin has told me a lot about you.” Lobelia placed herself between the dwarven king and Bilba as Lotho peered over her shoulder to the strange hairy man holding onto the hobbit. “And the rest of you must be her _friends_.”

 

Kili, bless his dear yet naive heart was beaming as he let go of Bilba and threw out his arm for a handshake. “That’s us! Is that your kid? He’s adorable! Are all hobbit babies so cute?” Naïve but not too stupid, Lobelia was allowing herself to give him a tiny smile (even if it was the same smile that she gave poor not always there hobbits) as Lotho kept stared in wonder and the rest of the dwarves started whispering among themselves while _still_ standing at Bilba’s door.

 

They looked almost the same as Bilba remembered them. Fili had a few scars now running across his face and was moving stiffly as he whispered something to Ori who’d changed his hairstyle just enough for Bilba to notice. Dwarlin, Bofur, and Nori were also moving as though they hadn’t healed up all the way from some wound and-

 

Wait. Bofur.

 

Bilba’s legs started to buckle as she stared at the hatted dwarf whisper something to Bombur. Refusing to faint yet again in her own home Bilba gently pushed her way past Lobelia and other dwarves until she was close enough to reach out and touch the hatted dwarf.

 

Bofur nodded towards her, face half hidden beneath his hat as he followed with a little bobbing sort of bow. “Lass… Bilba I-“ Bilba didn’t really know if it was the anger or the need to know if he was really there that had the hobbit pulling back her arm and slapping Bofur once across the face. A light slap on Bilba’s part and she had seen the man getting worse for fun with the other dwarves; but Bilba still felt horrible the moment that her open palm hit the skin, what was she so angry about? Bofur _not_ being dead? Bofur for not talking Thorin down when there had been eleven other dwarves around?

 

Dragging Bofur down for a deep kiss was a lot harder with her belly getting in the way as it did but Bilba managed to use his height to her advantage and wedged herself against the dwarf enough to get their lips to touch.

 

“Ha! I told you!”

 

“Shut up Kili!” Bilba winced as the baby gave in its own opinion by kicking hard against Bilba’s kidneys. Trust dwarves to ruin a romantic moment.

 

Bofur touched her stomach with both hands, swallowing hard enough for Bilba to see as the baby kicked against the pressure before taking a couple steps back.

 

“It’s called a baby,” Lobelia helpfully called over from where she was still stopping dwarves from getting even farther into the house with swings of her umbrella across knuckles and shins.

 

“A baby.”

 

“Another name for a small child.”

 

“Yes, thank you!” Bofur’s voice was getting higher with each word as Bilba debated if she should step in.

 

“I’m assuming that you are willing to acknowledge it as your own?” Thorin winced as a blow hit his boot, impressing Bilba who know for a fact that the boots were almost as thick as Thorin’s skull.

 

“YES!” Bofur was starting to totter at that point so Bilba made a grab for his arm. Bifur cackled something at Bofur that Bilba really did not understand more than a word or two over the buzzing in her own ears but had the miner going paler and stuttering back. “I just need a breather. Just a breather…”

 

“Bilba thinks it might be a girl!” With a groan of something that sounded a lot like ‘nope’ Bofur hit the ground, head just missing the various objects stacked inside of the hall as Bifur howled with laughter, Lobelia raised an eye at Bilba, and the rest of the company seemed to shrink back from the hobbits.

 

“I said it could be a girl!” Bilba cast a look at her now fallen friend and gave a bigger sigh than was really needed just to see if any of the dwarves at her door would get the hint. Ori tugged at Dwalin’s arm before making a bow towards Lobelia, eyes keeping track of the umbrella.

 

“Would you like us to move Bofur out of the way Bil- Miss. Baggins, Miss.. um Hobbit?”

 

“Mistress Sackville-Baggins,” the smile from her contained far too many teeth, a smile that Lotho was glad to mirror with his milk teeth. “I do believe that you all have a lot to talk about with my dear cousin.”

 

** ** **

 

Lobelia’s explanations of dwarves was being surprisingly  lowered as she watched them tramping in without bothering to wipe their muddy boots outside and begin to move about Bag End as though they owned the place. Bilba had told Lobelia that three of the dwarves were young and one had a head wound but from the way that they acted Lobelia wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the entire group was made up of head wounded children.

 

They were loud. They were dirty. And worst of all they weren’t apologizing right!

 

The king had pulled out a sack of gems once he’d managed to get inside of the sitting room and tossed them at Bilba who’d squeaked and taken a step back. Really, who did he think he was tossing things to people after almost tossing them off of a cliff? Lobelia’s crack at his ankle and a few hints about the fire had soon gotten him out of the house along with most of the rest of the dwarves to collect firewood. She’d have them toss it in with the large pile Otho’d shoved into one of the bedrooms when they got back.

 

Bilba was still white as a sheet as she sat in a chair staring at the prone figure of her dwarf dumped onto the couch. Really from what she’d been telling Lobelia about the man the hobbit thought that he would have been made of tougher stuff. The ones called Dori and Bombour had at least tried to make themselves useful by disappearing into the kitchen to make Bilba a snack and tea for her nerves.

 

“I thought he was dead,” Bilba looked close to tears startling Lobelia who had never seen the other woman cry. Not when teased as a child, not when the whispers had gotten too loud, not even when both parents had died so close to one another.

 

“We thought _you_ were dead!” Ori had pulled out some wool and knitting needles and was currently making something that looked like a small hat. Well, at least someone besides her cousin had had some sense in the group. “Well some of us. But the rest asked around and heard about you leaving.” A deep groan from the couch had Bilba going even paler and gripping at the edges of her chair. Lobelia shook her head as she grabbed ahold of Lotho and followed Ori into the kitchen. Cousin or not Bilba needed to do whatever she was going to do on her own.

 

That her umbrella was left right next to the blond hobbit wasn’t anything. Really, Lobelia had just forgotten it there.

 

***

 

A little over a year ago Bilba would have looked down into her teacup to avoid looking Bofur into the eyes. But after trolls, orcs, a dragon, and relatives it was almost easy to keep her eyes on the hatted dwarf’s face as he stared down at her feet.

 

“So.. you’re here.” Bilba almost rolled her eyes at herself but there was no rule of manners she could think of when a dead lover popped in. “How is Erebor?” A nice safe topic, nothing that could offend hopefully.

 

“It’s… well fuck it all!” Bofur lurched up from his seat and practically threw himself at Bilba’s feet before handing her a bag filled with things that clicked together. “Just hear me out? I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.” Bilba nodded, curious over just why the dwarves kept on throwing bags of stuff at her.  Bofur opened the bag and poured out a small pile of large beads into Bilba’s lap. The hobbit stared down at them, hair beads her mind supplied though why Bofur was giving her such a look?

 

“I-I should have given you one earlier. It’s all my fault for not doing so. But all I had for it was wood and you’re worth more than that. And I thought with all the treasure there’d be one worthy of you but…” Here Bofur trailed off, his eyes surprisingly wet. She wondered if he was remembering the days spent inside of the treasury, dwarves going through their treasures as Bilba pleaded with them to think about Dale, think about how little food they had left. The hobbit pulled off Bofur’s hat and ran her fingers through his hair to calm them both down. “I’m not worth much, wouldn’t even do things in the proper order. But if you’ll still have me I’ll always make you happy. Both of you.” The words were speeding out of Bofur’s mouth faster and faster before he stopped, looking up at the blond haired hobbit with hopeful eyes.

 

“Only if you’ll still have me,” Bilba smiled as she waved her filled hand a bit at the dwarf. “But I don’t really need all these… I’m a hobbit and it’d be silly for me to go walking around with all sorts of beads in my hair!” By the green lady she had missed that full bellow of a laugh.

 

“You only get one love. It’s a courting bead. I.. I should have given you one before but wood’s not good enough for you.” Bilba huffed at that and started to pour the beads back into their bag as Bofur gave a noise that sounded like he was going to expire on the spot.

 

“I’m a hobbit! We don't wear gems and gold!"

 

“But then people’ll think I don’t see you as worth anything!” Bofur’s voice went high as he reached out to stop her from putting the last bead back. “It’s tradition for us to give the best we have!” Bilba raised an eyebrow at him before looking down at the last hair bead. It was gold and only had small chips of gems running through it in a pattern. Too fancy for a hobbit.

 

But perhaps not too fancy for the wife of a dwarf.

 

“Alright. I’ll wear this one but you still owe me a wooden bead.” Bofur gave her a grin, one that Bilba could finally see on the face of her baby without a twinge in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not the last chapter, sorry! We still need to deal with the rest of the party and the Shire. Plus, you know, the baby.


End file.
